


Fifth Time's a Charm

by setosdarkness



Series: Only the Ring Finger Knows [1]
Category: Aldnoah.Zero (Anime)
Genre: Fluff, How to Propose by Kaizuka Inaho, How to Suffer @ Inaho's deadpan delivery by Slaine Troyard, Inaho's not very smooth..., M/M, Post canon, Slaine is kind of a tsundere, as most AZ fics... Slaine's in prison, but there's so much fluff omg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-01
Updated: 2016-04-01
Packaged: 2018-05-30 12:58:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6424987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/setosdarkness/pseuds/setosdarkness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first time, it happened, as most things, via an attempt to Slaine’s life.</p><p>“You choked me with it.”</p><p>“I was under the impression that you loathed my cooking and that you wouldn’t eat my cooked omelet too quickly that you couldn’t see the ring.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fifth Time's a Charm

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by "Only the Ring Finger Knows" lol
> 
> sorry not sorry for the fluffy post-finale InaSure

*

The first time, it happened, as most things, via an attempt to Slaine’s life.

“You’re being overly dramatic. It wasn’t an assassination attempt. Nobody aside from a small group of military officers, including myself, know about your continued existence.”

“ _You choked me with it_.”

“I was under the impression that you loathed my cooking and that you wouldn’t eat my cooked omelet too quickly that you couldn’t see the ring.”

“Oh _screw you,_ Orange.”

It’s been a long time and even ‘Orange’ sounds fond now.

It’s hard to maintain a completely scathing tone, not when even Kaizuka himself is smirking the slightest bit, treating him as though he’s some friend of his, instead of a war prisoner that deserved to be executed many times over.

“So I take it that means you won’t accept this ring?”

“Fuck no.”

“I see.”

*

The second time was through another means of incapacitating Slaine.

“Did you just put that stupid ring in my stupid orange juice?!”

“I fail to see how a glass of orange juice can be considered ‘stupid’.”

“It’s _orange_.”

“I’m rather flattered that you associate ‘Orange’, and by extension, myself to a lot of things, Slaine.”

“Will you just quit with the ring,” Slaine asks flatly, wiping at his lip. He considers swallowing the ring to end this miserable existence consisting of Kaizuka Inaho testing and fraying his nerves with every unnerving smile, unnerving good sense in chess matches, unnerving cooking skills, unnerving _everything_.

“Hmm.”

“You’re not gonna stop, are you.”

“I’m rather pleased that you know me so well.”

Slaine sighs and waves a hand towards the general direction of the chessboard.

“Just shut up and play.”

*

The third time:

“I heard that ‘third time’s a charm’.”

“Hearing you say ‘charm’ makes me queasy.”

“I’ve sufficiently read through Yuki-nee’s magazines about how to be charming.”

“One - why are you even reading those.” Slaine resists the urge to chuck the book in his hands towards Kaizuka’s general vicinity. Not only will it cause the book to gain some undue tears, but Kaizuka will probably find a way to catch the book and thwap Slaine back with it. But oh, it’s so very tempting. “Two - you’re _hopeless_ when it comes to such things.”

“Maybe you should teach me.”

“Huh?”

“You’re pretty charming yourself. It would have been impossible to do the things you’ve done without a modicum of charm.”

Slaine’s breath hitches, the way it happens when he’s reminded of the things he has done five years ago. He opens his mouth to argue, because charm had nothing to do with it, but nothing comes out.

It was all insanity and the all-consuming drive to make his goal for the Princess come true. Vers didn’t need charm - they only needed an excuse to go to war. Nobody needed him - they simply needed the next person who was able say the words they wanted to hear.

“If you don’t teach me, you’ll have to accept the ring.”

Kaizuka had no common sense.

But maybe that’s what made him so...

“Stop being stupid, Orange.”

*

For the fourth time, Kaizuka himself isn’t around when Slaine sputters indignantly at the sight of the ring.

Or rather, the ring that’s in the middle of an extravagant flower arrangement.

He’s extra grateful that after seven years, he’s been granted a less restrictive imprisonment. It’s not because he regrets and wants to repent for his crimes less - but rather, it’s much better to receive this kind of embarrassing display when it’s only him who can see it.

“What the hell are you doing, Kaizuka.”

But even Slaine can’t deny that his tone isn’t as scathing as it should be.

*  
*  
*

“Were you impressed?”

“!!!”

“...Slaine?”

“I-I’m impressed by your _stupidity_.”

“I see. I’m glad, Slaine.”

“Shut up!”

*  
*  
*

Fifth:

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“I don’t joke, Slaine.”

“Of course I know that! I’ve known you for ten... years...” Slaine trails off near the end, his steam of indignance and exasperation diminishing as he realizes that he’s known this stupid ‘Orange’ for a decade now. That he’s spent a huge chunk of his life with only this person as constant company. That he’s been blessed to have received the Princess’ cruel pity and Inaho’s kindness that’s also cruel without meaning to be.

“It’s more than enough time for me to successfully convince UFE.”

“You’re _crazy_.”

Inaho opens his mouth and Slaine has this crazy thought about what Inaho will say next.

Thankfully, Inaho takes one look at him and spares his blood pressure the trouble.

“Here’s the key to your new cell.”

Inaho places the key in his palm, the touch warmer and more comforting than it had any right to be.

But it doesn’t feel like a key...

Slaine looks down at his palm.

“This isn’t a key.”

Seems like his blood pressure will rise up anyway.

“It is,” Inaho asserts, pressing some buttons near the door. There’s a sophisticated-looking scanner near the doorknob. “You have to wear it so the door will open. It acts as a biometric—”

“I cannot _believe_ you.”

“I don’t joke, Slaine.”

“ _Shut up_.”

Slaine’s face burns, not entirely due to being out in summer, long shackles replaced by an ankle tracker, prison cell replaced by the countryside house with a huge rose garden belonging to his jailer, his hatred and regrets replaced by a warm emotion more binding than any sort of imprisonment.

The only sound that follows is the beep of the biometric scanner, coupled with the warm chuckle that escapes Inaho’s lips as Slaine finally agrees to wear his ring.

And because Inaho laughing is just _unacceptable_ , Slaine makes sure to muffle that sound. But since newly-transferred prisoners don’t have any belongings outside of their own self, Slaine _has no choice_ but to stop those chuckles with his own lips.

*****

**end**


End file.
